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May 26, 2013

Series Sunday: Guest Post: Tyrone M. Eddins Jr.

Author of the City High Series

Welcome to Literary
Marie's Precision Reviews. Today we have a special guest post from Tyrone M. Eddins Jr., author of the City High series and CEO & Founder of Scripted Visions Publishing Group.

"For the Love of Crime and Violence..."

Who doesn’t love a good crime thriller?

Well, I will be the first to admit that there isn’t much that I love more than to dive headfirst into a story about a gruesome crime that will keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the very end. Whether it’s a book, movie, or TV show, a crime thriller is always my choice for storytelling entertainment. In fact, being a man that also enjoys good food, I can equate a well-crafted crime thriller to a delicious four-course meal at a five-star restaurant. Perfectly prepared and cooked by a Master Chef, stories about crime and violence make for some of the most delicious literary and cinematic meals around with each course of the meal served in thrilling fashion. Best of all, this recipe isn’t a complicated one at all. Start with a healthy dose of violence, stir in a cup of mystery, blend in some more violence, and add a pinch (or even a full scoop) of sex and you’ve got the makings of a pretty good meal. Beginning with an appetizer of action, good crime fiction takes hold of its audience from the opening pages or credits. It then moves quickly to serve the soup and salad portion of the meal as the story starts to unravel, revealing all of its main characters and plot points. At long last, here is the entrée. Time to get to the best part, the crux, the literal blood and guts of the story. By now the reader or movie/TV watcher is all in and fully ready to dig into the meat of the story. The storyline is all out on the table now, having been served on only the finest of china and silverware. Twists and turns are in full swing and around every corner. The main characters are all on the move and the action is “all you can eat” freight training towards an incredible climax. And finally…dessert is served…one last gunfight, one last murder, and one last gut-wrenching plot twist all leading up to an amazing and unpredictable ending to this story. At the end of this meal, everyone is left full and satisfied, yet wanting more... Maybe it’s the grisly allure of the macabre that draws us to the crime thriller genre and allows it grab on tight without letting go? Who knows? But whatever it is, so many of us enjoy great stories that revolve around an unspeakable crime and contain plenty of violence. From an entertainment point of view, crime and violence go hand in hand like burgers and fries, apple pie and ice cream, spaghetti and meatballs. Throughout history, people have been writing about crime and violence for about as long as it’s been occurring in real life. Detailed accounts of criminal escapades and acts of violence have been recorded in every form from no-nonsense non-fiction to sensationalized works of fiction based on real life events and people. Whether they want to admit it or not, people love crime and violence…so long as it’s not happening to them, of course. It’s like a drug. A morbid, but enjoyable obsession that provides a unique high. Take a second to think about what stories usually headline the news shows and newspapers. It’s usually something to do with crime and violence. And as much as we shake our head and say “mm-mm-mm” while wanting to turn away, change the channel or put the newspaper down…we just can’t. We have to know what happened and even the newscaster’s warning that “the following may not be appropriate for all audiences,” doesn’t deter us. Instead, it only serves to fuel our fascination and cause us to turn up the volume on the TV, shush the kids, and scoot closer. Yes, I’m guilty of it too…this strange love for crime and violence. It entertains and it sells. Having been on both sides of the Crime & Violence coin, as both a reader and a writer, I can tell you that there is nothing like it. No substitute for this guilty pleasure. It’s this twisted attraction that inspired my debut novel, BAD INTENTIONS, Book One of the CITY HIGH Series. As a writer, one of the first cardinal rules I learned was: “write what you read,” and I routinely gorge myself on the crime thrillers. Can’t get enough of it. Books, movies, and TV shows.BAD INTENTIONS and the CITY HIGH series is a story built on the most basic and animalistic of principles: family and the protection of its members at any cost. It’s this code that serves as the catalyst for the BAD INTENTIONS storyline and is also the driving force for the novel’s main characters, the Harrell Family. Over the course of the CITY HIGH Series, the Harrells will have the limits of their loyalty pushed to the breaking point. This story will test and ultimately reaffirm the timeless saying: “Blood is thicker than water.” As readers indulge themselves in the CITY HIGH series, it’s a safe bet they will see many different literary influences, but definitely no duplication. BAD INTENTIONS and the CITY HIGH SERIES is about more than just the crime and violence featured within its pages, but at the same time, an avid connoisseur of crime thrillers won’t be left starving on an empty stomach either…-Tyrone

Bad Intentions (Book One) Summary:LIFE IN THE SHADOWS...Beneath the historical monuments and high-priced politics of
the Nation’s Capital, exists a shadowed empire known as The Syndicate.
Reigning supreme over this juggernaut is The Harrell Family, a clan of
criminal royalty that oversees the city’s narcotics flow with the
efficiency of a billion dollar corporation. Seated at the head of the
table is Ezra Harrell, the Family's patriarch and mastermind behind The
Syndicate. Under the guiding hand of the respected and feared cartel
boss, The Syndicate has corrupted some of the city’s most influential
hierarchy and completely reshaped the city’s criminal landscape; making
The Syndicate the most untouchable criminal organization Washington DC
has ever seen…NOTHING BEFORE FAMILY...In the Harrell Family, nothing is more important than blood.
Anything threatening their tightly knit unit is dealt with in a
ferocious manner, absent of all hesitation or mercy. Their family creed
of “Nothing Before Family” is more than just a mere catchphrase or
punchline. For the Harrell Family, those three words represent an
unwavering, unforgiving way of life…FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN…A ruthless killer is stalking the Harrells, slowly and
methodically hunting his way to the top of their family. As the clock
ticks, Ezra Harrell must do everything in his extensive power to escape
his way of life and move his family to a safe place before time runs
out. Ezra fears for his family’s safety, but his chief concern is his
son, Santea, the heir apparent to the Syndicate throne. Ezra refuses to
allow his only child to follow in his footsteps down a bloody path he
wished he’d never walked himself…BAD INTENTIONS is book one of the CITY HIGH
series, a multiple novel saga chronicling the rise, fall and redemption
of the Harrell Family. The debut novel from Tyrone Eddins Jr. promises
to transport the reader on an entertaining ride into the depths of an
underworld kingdom where greed, deception and the raw lust for power
threaten to destroy not just a single man, but an entire empire.